3 August 2007
Laura Lagomarsino
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Dear NMNH Office of the Director,
I want to thank
you for the generous funding you provided to support my experience in
the National Museum of National History's Research Training Program
(RTP). The RTP has been, with no exaggeration, the most rewarding experience
of my life. I got to spend ten weeks with thirteen of the coolest up-and-coming
natural historians (the other RTP interns) exploring one of the world's
most renowned research museums. This alone would have made my summer
amazing, but I additionally got to perform original research under an
esteemed tropical botanist, Dr. W. John Kress, looking at floral evolution
in the colorfully tropical plant genus Heliconia.
The program has
truly broadened my scientific horizons more than I ever could have imagined.
I entered the program with a very specific interest in plant evolutionary
biology, an interest complemented by a specialized training as an undergraduate.
However, the RTP exposed me to the entire gamut of natural history:
anthropology, entomology, geology, herpetology, paleontology -the laundry
list is enormous! I realized through the program that, while I was very
well-trained in my area of expertise, my natural history education was
limited. While I am still a botanist at heart, I am on track to becoming
a well-rounded scientist. Thanks to my experiences this summer, I look
forward to integrating diverse aspects of natural history into my future
studies.
The program has
also afforded me the opportunity to interact with some of the world's
top scientists. While I got to know my research advisor very well, I
also had in-depth conversations with other botany curators, as well
as many outside of my department and researchers in the Laboratory of
Analytical Biology. It was incredibly thrilling to have casual conversation
with scientists whose papers I have read and work I have admired. This
aspect of the RTP has made me excited to enter a career in the natural
sciences-I can definitely see myself spending the rest of my life with
colleagues akin to the scientists I met while working here.
I hope I have impressed
upon you how much this program has affected my life- I am leaving the
museum in awe of how much I was able to learn and accomplish in ten
weeks and with sorrow at having to, at least for now, leave it all behind.
The funding you have provided made it possible for me to travel from
California to spend this incredible, life-altering summer in Washington,
D.C. and there are no words to accurately describe my appreciation for
this. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Laura Lagomarsino
Research Training Program
Class of '07